MEXICO

Hi everyone! We are back from Mexico now!! Thanks for praying for us.

Well Mexico was GREAT! I LOVE it there. My favorite part was probably passing out tracks and John/Roman Bibles. The people there were so kind and nice. If you gave them a track they didn't just throw it away they took and started reading it and said thank you. When you give someone a track here in the US they usually dont really care and dont want it or take it and just throw it away. BUt it was great to see everyone reading the things you just gave them. The first night we got there we invited people to a youth rally and we also gave them John/Romans. And when we were walking around you saw people everywhere reading what we just gave them it was so great! Another thing i liked was how the people at church are so welcoming and kind. We would go to church and they would shake our hand and talk to us as though they have known us for awhile. What really hit me was at most of the churches we went to there wasnt any air conditioning. All they had we a couple of fans or nothing. And what amazed me was the people didnt care the still went to church every time and served God no matter what. Another thing was when we went out passing out things people were usually in their yard as a family talking and stuff. I think that is great because you can get so close to your family and spend so much time with them. They werent consumed with TV and Internet or games they were happy with what they had. I think thats amazing.

Well I want to encourage you all to just think how blessed you are by God. Some of you might be thinking that must be terrible that most of them dont have air or tv or games but you know I think thats a good thing. Because most of all that stuff is just destracting us from serving God. So think about what you have and how much time you are spending time with it. Serving God is the best thing ever!

Joyfulness

Rejoice always. 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18

I don’t usually study my Bible topically, but a few days ago I decided to study the topic of joy. I went to look up verses on “joy” and “rejoicing”, and I was amazed at how many there were…over 400! (Bible Gateway makes topical searches very easy!) Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It should be continually increasing in my life as I grow in my sanctification.

Joy isn’t just a nice feeling when everything is going perfectly. Many people in the New Testament, like Paul, rejoiced even when things were extremely difficult. True joy is not fleeting, but is based on what I know to be true about Christ and His word. I can have joy because no matter what is happening, as a Christian, I have a different, eternal perspective. I have a personal relationship with the One who knows and is in control of all things!

What keeps us from having joy? Sin is one of them. David prayed in Psalm 51 that God would restore unto him the joy of His salvation. We can’t be joyful if our lives are full of sin. We also won’t be joyful if we aren’t spending time reading the Bible…God’s Word is a source of joy! Jeremiah 15:16 – Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.

There is joy in serving Jesus
Joy amid the darkest night
For I've learned the wondrous secret
And I'm walking in the light

There is joy, joy
Joy in serving Jesus
Joy that throbs within my heart
Every moment, every hour
As I draw upon His power
There is joy, joy
Joy that never shall depart

* Rachel *

I'm Saved!

I just started reading though Ephesians, and every time I read chapter 1 (I’d encourage you to read it), it just amazes me to be reminded of all Christ has done for me! I was chosen before the foundation of the world! I’m adopted! I’m accepted in the beloved! I am redeemed through the blood of Christ – my sins are forgiven! I have an inheritance! I have been given the Holy Spirit!

Do these things get me excited? I have to admit that they don’t always get me as excited as they should. I need to pray like Paul did at the end of chapter 1 that I would be illuminated to see spiritual truths. “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened: that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according o the working of his might power.”

My salvation is so amazing! I was dead in my sins, but now I am alive through Christ. My salvation is a gift from God. Christ died for my sins! Christ’s righteousness has been made mine! I pray that God would get me, and our entire youth group to see what we have in Christ – that we would rejoice in our salvation!

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

~ Rachel

Favorite Verses?

I think that it would be cool if we had more posts on the blog with discussion. So, just to start out, what are some of your favorite Bible verses, and why? Just leave a comment with your answer - I think it will be neat to hear what everyone has to say. Also, if you've never posted on the blog before, this would be the perfect time to start! :)

- Rachel

Seeing Jesus

On the senior trip, Pastor Schaal read to us every night from a book called, “We Would See Jesus.” While I was on the trip and now as I’m reading back over it, I have been reminded of the importance of seeing God, and of having Him be my complete focus. I need to remember that my purpose is to know God, to love and glorify Him…to see Him! I need to make sure my focus is right, and that I am not allowing other things to distract me from seeing Him.

One specific area I had never thought much about before was how service for God can actually be a distraction to seeing Him. I am going to quote from the book because it says it better than I can, “To concentrate on service and activity for God may often actively thwart our attaining the true goal, God Himself. At first sight is seems heroic to fling our lives away in the service of God and of our fellows. We feel it is bound to mean more to Him than our experience of Him. Service seems to unselfish, whereas concentrating on our walk with God seems selfish and self-centered. But it is the very reverse. The things that God is most concerned about are our coldness of hearts towards Him and our proud, unbroken natures. Christian service of itself can, and often does, leave our self-centered nature untouched.”

While serving God is, of course, important, I can’t let service or anything else become more important than God Himself and my relationship with Him! The only thing I should glory in is that I know God! This takes time and effort…I need to take the time to spend in prayer, and in God’s word getting to know Him better and praying for Him to show me Jesus.

“Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 9:23-24

~ Rachel